What happened to Boston Market? What to know about the restaurant in Phoenix and beyond

Boston Market, once a fast casual comfort food giant with several hundred locations all over the U.S., appears to be on the brink of complete collapse. The chain has been quietly closing down its stores all over the country over the past few years, including all of its Arizona locations.

Restaurant Business Online reported in March 2024 that the chain was down to just 27 locations nationwide.

The mass closures are attributed to financial and legal troubles that have followed the brand for several decades. The restaurant chain began in 1985 and first filed for bankruptcy in 1998. Since then, it has changed ownership multiple times as new investors tried, and failed, to make the chain profitable.

Boston Market is currently owned by Engage Brands, a subsidiary of the Rohan Group owned by Jay Pandya.

Are there any Boston Market locations open in metro Phoenix?

The restaurant's website still lists one metro Phoenix location in Tempe at 3435 S. McClintock Dr. But the location has been reported closed elsewhere. Yelp comments suggest the restaurant has not been open in several months.

On Aug. 13, the Tempe location had a "Now Hiring" sign in the window, but the doors were locked and no one was inside, despite the location being listed as open online.

Google Maps shows only the 19th Avenue location in Phoenix, but marked it as temporarily closed. As of Aug. 14, the location appeared completely abandoned. The sign on the door was faded from the sun and some of the back windows were tagged with spray paint.

Coming soon: Celebrity chef Richard Blais is making his Arizona debut with 3 Scottsdale restaurants

Reach the reporter at endia.fontanez@gannett.com . Follow @EndiaFontanez on X, formerly Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What happened to Boston Market? What to know about the restaurant in Phoenix and beyond